MISSING SCENE: 6X04

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews guys! I really appreciate them! I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, and I might write another missing scene for 6x04, because who doesn't like Castle!whump? XD


"She's unstable. You need to get out of there. Now."

He was about to argue with Kate, and tell her that Emma wouldn't hurt him. He'd been advocating for her since before he entered the dental office, and he wasn't about to stop now. She was a fan. She wasn't going to hurt him. Before he could get in another word, he heard the cocking of the gun. His body tensed as he slowly turned towards their captor with his phone still to his ear, but he did as he was told, and did not say another word to his fiancé on the other line. He wished he could squeeze in a quick 'I love you', or an even quicker 'I'm sorry', because it looked like Beckett had been right the entire time. When it came right down to it, he didn't know if his number one fan would hurt him or not.

"Castle?" He could hear Kate's voice in his ear. Oh, how he so wanted to say something to her right then. Even if what she said wasn't reassuring, her voice certainly was. "Castle? What's going on?" The worry in Kate's voice made him break apart inside. He had told her he had already reached his 'stupid quota' for the day, but apparently there was always room for a little more stupid.

"Rick?"

"Hang up," Emma ordered.

He looked down at the phone, Kate's picture splashed across the screen. Even if it was an older picture, it was still nice to see her face one last time before his thumb hit the end call button.


"Castle?" Kate called into her phone. She looked down at it. Call ended. She cursed. Loudly.

"Yo, Beckett?" Esposito called from behind her.

"Something's wrong," she told the boys. "I could hear her on the other end, and she… I don't think Castle can talk her out of this one." Kate bit her bottom lip and glanced back towards Captain Gates.

"Where you going?" Ryan asked, watching her head towards the precinct Captain.

"To tell her… Castle is now a hostage. You guys should go back to the precinct; keep digging," she suggested, even though she didn't work for the department anymore. They were kind enough to not point it out then – not when her attention was so divided between the case and Castle.


Fifteen minutes go by.

Kate stood outside with the rest of the tactical officers. She felt so useless. She didn't have a badge or a gun anymore, and part of her can't help thinking that if she hadn't been fired, she wouldn't be there right now to support Castle. He'd be in there, and she probably wouldn't even know about it while she was working in DC. Somehow, that seemed to be the silver lining.

She didn't know when she had begun pacing, but she did. Her eyes drilled holes into the pavement as she crossed her arms and her thumb twisted the engagement ring on her finger. She focused on her breathing, because the anticipation was beginning to kill her. Every passing second was killing her slowly. I'm kinda looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you.

No. She needed to have faith, and place her trust in Castle. He could do this; she just needed to be patient.

And then, the unmistakable gunshot sounded through the street. Kate's head snapped up. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. Did Castle push too hard? Less Emma, if a hostage had been shot, there was a 25% chance that it was Castle.

"All units, full breach. Go, go, go!"

There was a moment of hesitation. She didn't have a badge, gun or vest. There was no way she would be allowed inside, following the officers who did have all those things, but no one was watching her, and she took advantage, following the tactical leader into the building, with only one thing on her mind. Castle, Castle, Castle. No, she didn't need any of the tools of the trade. She was perfectly willing to jump into the fray without any of those things. She'd do anything for Castle.

"We're gonna need the EMT, right away!"

Kate stepped through the threshold of the door. One man had his hands behind his head, Emma was also on her knees, but there was Castle, lying on top of glass shards, and he was so still.

No.

Fear raced through her body, crawled up her spine and constricted her airway, but she rushed forward, his name escaping her lips as she dropped down to her knees next to him. "God… Castle!" Give me a sign, she mentally begged, her hands reaching out the touch the warmth of his cheek, praying that his warmth did not leave him, willing him to cling to her strength. There was no blood, she noted, but she barely had time to register it.

"CHEESEBURGERS!" Castle cried out suddenly, startling Kate and everyone around her, but relief washed through her like a tidal wave when his eyes opened. Thank you, God. A big smile graced her lips as she helped him to sit up. She looked at the bullet, punctuating the 'I' in WRITER, in roughly the same location she had been shot.

She remembered telling him he wouldn't need his vest when their partnership first began. She remembered expressly thinking she would never let him endanger his life. She remembered the weight of responsibility she felt to ensure Castle returned home every single night to his family.

When did that change? She idly wondered. At what point did she let him start diving in with her?

She couldn't resist the overwhelming need to feel him in her arms. She'd express her gratitude to the universe later for letting her keep him. Her hug, however, was unwelcome, and Castle cried out in pain. "Aagh! Chest! Ohhhh," And he was relieved when she let him go.

Kate looked at him, immediately sorry for causing him more pain, but she wouldn't be sorry for having him in her life, still. He proclaimed it hurt, and she couldn't disagree with him. "Yeah, well, getting hit by a projectile traveling at a thousand feet per second is gonna sting a bit."

"Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark," he grimaced.

"All that matters is you're okay now."

"Oh, I'm better than okay, Beckett. I know who the killer is."

How can he be thinking of the case at a moment like this. There is a bullet lodged in his vest, just short of his heart, and it's going to leave a bruise the size of a watermelon – maybe a small water melon. What if that bullet had gone higher? What if they weren't having this conversation right now?

Her look of relief turned into something that wasn't. Perhaps it was disappointment mixed with confusion, but it wasn't at all to do with what she was feeling. He was okay. And that was all that mattered to her.


Detective Beckett was back, and there was going to be a celebration at the Old Haunt for her return to the force. Castle kissed her, after realizing that their professionalism didn't need to kick in until tomorrow morning. He could handle that. His arms wrapped around her body, despite the massive ache in his chest. He should have been at home resting, but he had wanted to see this case through, and now, there was a joyous occasion to be celebrated.

She moaned into the kiss. It was passionate. She nearly lost him today, and he hadn't even acknowledged it. He moaned into the kiss, too, but that was partly because she was squeezing too tightly and partly because it was her and she felt good.

Kate released him, inching backwards to look at him. She saw the pain etched on his face, but he wasn't looking at her. He wasn't acknowledging it. What happened to the baby she nursed back to health when he broke his kneecap? She swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers brushing at his hair, because it was a very soothing motion, both for her and Castle. She opened her mouth, but he beat her to it. "I'm fine," he said.

She didn't believe him, but she followed him to the elevator, anyway.


The Old Haunt was packed, and Kate mingled with the many different officers who congratulated her on her job. She didn't drink, though, many people offered to buy her one or two, which normally would have been generous if the drinks weren't on the house already.

Come to think of it, where was Castle? The last she had seen him was when Sully slapping him on the back after an ill timed joke, and the look on her fiance's face told her everything. He was in pain, and he was fading. Now, he was nowhere to be found.

She looked around, scanning the crowd. "If you're looking for Castle, check the basement," Ryan hinted.

"Thanks," she replied and set off to find him. Entering the basement, she came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs when she saw Castle sprawled on the couch, his chest rising and falling steadily. She came to sit down on the edge of a cushion, and the dip of the couch roused him. "Hey," she said, smiling.

"Hi."

Kate noted his hand on his chest. It wasn't merely just resting there; there was something protective in the way it was. "How're you feeling?"

"Fi-"

"Don't say fine."

"Awesome, then," he chuckled.

"God, Castle," she hissed back at him. She looked at him endearingly. How she loved this man who pushed all of her buttons at once, she would never know. "Your 'stupid quota' has hit an all-time low."

"It wasn't my fault, Kate. I was getting through to her, and that idiot went all Bruce Willis on me."

She never wanted to hit him more. Anger and love coiled within her, but for a second, she wondered who her anger should be directed towards: Herself, or Castle. "What happened?"

"They were fighting for the gun, waving it around. It ended up pointed towards the other hostages," he shrugged slightly. "I made a grab for it, put myself between it and the receptionist and…" he motioned to his chest absently.

Kate was silent for a moment, and she looked away from him. She could still hear the gunshot, and the gut-wrenching fear that it was him who was down, only to see that her fears were well founded, because it was him.

He looked up at her. "I almost died today," he whispered, and that brought her attention back to him. "And I'm sorry."

"Rick. Do you have any idea what that was like, seeing you on the…-" She stopped talking when she noticed the look he was giving her. "Yeah, I guess you do know what that is like. I'm sorry. That was a poor choice of words, Castle."

She sighed, and he looked at her, watching her every movement. Castle pulled at her sleeve, hand finding hers, fingers linking together. She was wearing his ring, and that made him smile when he saw it.

He sat up, struggling to do so, but he planted his lips on Kate's nonetheless, indulging himself. "Kate," he whispered against her mouth.

"Mmm?"

"I know this is your celebration, and all… but…"

"It's okay, Castle. I want to go home, too."

"But, not the zoo that is my loft," he smirked.

Kate shook her head knowingly, grinning. "No. I'd like to wake up at a decent hour tomorrow, not an ungodly one." She rose from her spot at his side and extended a hand to him. "Here, let me help you."

"I got it," Castle muttered, wincing heavily as he attempted to get to his feet.

Kate stepped back and watched this brave, brave man. Her heart was swelling as she let him try to keep whatever dignity he thought he had left. He couldn't quite make it to his feet, though, and slumped back, breathing heavily. Kate merely stood back, watching, but oh how she wanted to reach out to him again, extend her hand and have him take it.

"Okay, I think I might need some help," he admitted, his ocean blue eyes connecting with hers.

She saw the apology in them, but something more. It was etched all over his features. He felt pathetic and she didn't know how to fix that for him. She helped him to his feet without a word and wrapped her arm around his waist for support. They began their slow trek back up the stairs and said their apologies to their friends before hailing a cab and heading towards Kate's old flat.


They arrived, paid their fare, and stood outside the door to Kate's apartment. Part of Richard wanted to question why she still had the apartment when they spent most of their time at the loft. They had only come back a handful of times since Kate had been fired from the FBI.

Castle leaned heavily on the wall outside the door as Kate fished her keys out from her jacket pocket. His chest felt like it was on fire. The paramedic had been correct in saying that it might not feel like much at the moment, but give it time and it was going to feel like he had been shot in the chest - which, he had been, and now that he could feel it, he understood.

He couldn't believe how tight his chest felt, and how much it hurt to simply breathe. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the door had clearly been open for a while, and Kate was simply staring at him, her hand on his arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

Castle nodded.

"You're lying to me," she challenged, fixing his collar for no good reason. "But, I forgive you." She wrapped her arm around him, guiding him into the apartment, and towards the bedroom. "Seriously, Castle, you're not looking so hot."

"I'll try not to let that statement bruise my ego," he replied, but Kate could tell that most, if not all, of his attention was merely focused on his breathing and placing one foot in front of the other.

She let it slide. "Almost there," Kate murmured, nudging open the bedroom door with her shoulder. She sat Castle down on the bed, and knelt down before him. He was sweating. "I really wish you had let the paramedics take you to the hospital, Castle. At the very least, you should have been in bed all day resting, not at the Old Haunt partying with the others."

"Kate."

She looked up at him, expecting an argument about to hit her like a freight train, but it didn't come.

"Berate me later."

She swallowed down the lump in her throat and pushed his jacket off his shoulders. He let her. The cuffs of his shirt were next and he held out his wrists one at a time. He watched her, though, when she began to unbutton his shirt. The bruise that tainted his skin caused her breath to catch, and he noticed it. "God, Castle." She had no other words, just a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach. He almost died today.

Esposito was right. Just an inch higher and it would have been a tragedy.

She leaned forward, her lips brushing across the epicenter of the bruise. It was a feather light kiss, and she had no idea what possessed her to pay homage to the ugliest thing she had ever seen on her fiance, but she supposed it was for the same reason Castle kissed the ring of puckered flesh between her breasts.

Castle's lips parted. Kate pulled away with a quick, "Sorry!"

"No, it was nice. Tingly."

Kate smiled, and finished undressing him, going so far as to remove his boxers. She tucked him in bed, her hand running through his hair after his head hit the pillow. "I love you, you know," she told him.

"I know." His voice was gravelly, and already he was on the edge of sleep. "Not as much as I love you, though."

"Oh, I don't know, Castle. I'm pretty sure I could take you."

With that, she shed her clothes in record time and crawled into the bed with him, pressing her naked body against his, needing to feel every inch of him, to feel him breathing. Alive. "Just saying," Castle muttered, "I love you more."

"Really?!" Kate cried, lifting her head to look at him incredulously. "You're going to start that argument now? Though, really, who am I kidding. You're the one carrying on with the 'Who liked who first' while I was standing on a fucking bomb."

"Mmm," he wrapped his arm around her, "you liked me first. Totally."